Forceps



April 19, 1938. A. w, ANDERSN 2,114,695

FORCEPS 4Filed March 5, 1957 Mgm Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES iiATENT QFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to forceps, and particularly to surgical forceps.

The main object of the invention is to produce forceps, efficient for their intended purposes, com- 5 prising a minimum number of parts, exceedingly simple in construction and economical to manufacture as compared with prior art devices of this character.

The forceps of my invention are of the type in 10 which a pair of ngers normally extend at their free ends in divergent directions and are adapted to be moved toward each other, by manual actuation of an operating lever, for the purpose of grasping and extracting or otherwise manipulat- 15 ing a part being surgically treated. One object of the invention is to provide lingers, for the purpose stated, each of which may be made of a single piece of material and be directly connected to the actuating lever. This feature of the invention is of substantial advantage because it obviates the use of hinges, springs and other movable parts between the ngers and means for connecting them to an actuating lever.

Another advantage of my invention resides in the form and assembly of a stationary and a movable lever for supporting and actuating the fingers whereby a very sturdy construction is produced.

Another advantage of the construction is the provision of means for quickly interchanging the fingers so that fingers of various lengths may be used in the device.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing forceps embodying my invention, the full lines showing the position of the parts when the ngers are extended and the dotted lines showing the retracted, engaging position of the iingers.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the device as shown in full lines in Fig. l.

o Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a detail,

taken in the plane of the line 3--3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 shows the arcuate wire fingers as they appear when detached from the forceps.

In that embodiment oi the invention which I 45 have chosen to illustrate in the drawing, a stationary lever I is provided with a pair of parallel, spaced apart arms II, preferably integral with the lever II) and located above the middle of said lever. An actuating lever I2 is pivotally mounted 50 between said arms I I by a pin or rivet I3. A flat spring I 4, connected at one end to the lever I0, bears at its free end against the lever l2 and tends to separate the lower ends of said levers.

The upper end of the lever I is bifurcated as 55 indicated at I5 and 'adapted to engage a tubular (Cl. 12S-321) member I6. A screw I'I extends through the end l5 for the purpose of drawing the spaced apart end portions I5 toward each other and to engage firmly the tubular member I6. Tubular members I6 of any desired length may be substituted for 5 the one illustrated. The diameter may also vary to some extent.

The operating lingers I8 and I9 of the forceps of this invention are identical and exceedingly simple in construction. Each comprises a length 10 of coiled wire such as is well known by the name piano wire, usually coiled about six inches in diameter. The finger ends 01' said wires I8, I9, are provided with gripping members 2li, 2l, respec tively, of any desired shape. Knife edges may be provided in place of gripping members, At the opposite ends, said wires I8, I9 are bent to form loops 22, 23, respectively. Two of the identical wire members are inserted in the tube i3 to extend longitudinally therethrough and to protrude 2O an inch or more beyond the tube end. One of the wires is turned so that its loop is located beneath the body of the wire and the other is turned so that its loop is above the Wire body. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the wire I8 has 25 been turned in the tube so that its loop 22 is downturned and the wire I9 has been turned in the tube I6 so that its loop 23 is upturned. A headed bolt or screw 24 extends through the upper bifurcated end of the actuating lever I2 and through 30 the loops 22, 23 located in said lever end, to pivotally connect the wire iingers I8, I9 to said lever i2.

The result of this arrangement of the two identical wires I3, i9 is that the free end portions, 35 when they project from the tube I6, extend in divergent arcuate directions and when they are retracted by actuation of the lever l2, the gripping members 2t and 2l are caused to move in arcuate paths toward each other into gripping or cutting relationship, depending on the character of the tool 20, 2l, which may be provided.

The form and assembly of the levers I0 and I2 are such that the actuation of the lever I2 about its pivot I3 results in minimum distortion of the 45 wire members I8 and I9 in the act of extending or retracting them. This results from placing the pivotal connection I3 in a vertical plane midway between the limits of movement of the upper end of the lever I2, as clearly shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1.

By removing the screws Il and 24 the tubular member I6 and lingers I8, I9 may be removed and others of varying lengths and sizes and provided with different kinds of tips 20, 2l, may be 55 substituted. rI'he tubular member I6 is intended to be of sufcient diameter to receive two Wire finger members and to permit longitudinal movement of said fingers in the tube.

The device may be used for other than surgical purposes, and has proven practical for picking up objects of various kinds.

Changes may be made in details of construction Without departing from the scope of my invention and I do not intend to be limited to the exact form shown and described, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. Forceps comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers, a tubular member mounted in one of said levers, and a pair of Wire lingers longer than said tubular member and initially arcuate throughout their length, and free of hinges, extending longitudinally through said member, said fingers being connected at one end to the other of said levers, the opposite free ends of said fingers extending in divergent arcuate directions beyond the mouth of the tubular member, and being retractible in an arcuate path into contacting positions adjacent the mouth of the tubular member by actuation of the lever to which said fingers are connected.

2. Forceps comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers, a tubular member mounted in one of said levers, and a pair of fingers each consisting of a length of Wire initially arcuate throughout its length, and free of hinges, a gripping member on one end and a loop formed at the other end, said ngers extending through said tubular member With the gripping ends protruding from the mouth of the tubular member, and means pivotally connecting the looped ends to the other of said levers.

3. Forceps comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers having bifurcated upper ends, a tubular member detachably mounted in the bifurcated end of one of said levers, and a pair of fingers each consisting of a length of Wire initially arcuate throughout its length, and free of bends and hinges, a gripping member on one end and a loop formed at the other end, said fingers extending through said tubular member with the gripping ends protruding from the mouth of the tubular member, and means pivotalli7 and detachably connecting the looped ends to the bifurcated'end of the other of said levers.

4. Forceps comprising a pair of levers, a cross piece rigidly connected to one of said levers, the other lever being pivotally connected to said cross piece at a point located in a plane removed from said rst mentioned lever and approximately midway between the limits of movement of one end of said pivoted lever, a tubular member mounted in one of said levers, and a pair of arcuate wire lingers longer than said tubular member and extending longitudinally through said member, said ngers being connected at one end to the pivoted lever, the opposite free ends of said fingers extending in divergent arcuate directions beyond the mouth of the tubular members, and gripping members on said free ends, said fingers being retractible in an arcuate path into contacting positions adjacent the mouth of the tubular member by actuation of the lever to which said ngers are connected.

5. Forceps comprising a tubular member, a pair of wire fingers initially arcuate throughout their length and free of hinges, extending longitudinally through said tubular member, and means connected with said tubular member and said ngers for extending said ngers in divergent arcuate directions beyond the mouth of the tubular member and for retracting said ngers in an arcuate path into contacting positions adjacent the mouth of the tubular member.

ALFRED W. ANDERSON. 

